22 June 2016

Starting a YouTube Channel

I have had my YouTube channel for a pretty long time now, I started both YouTube and blogging back in 2013 and can I just say that I would never go back or change a thing. Over the past few months I feel like I have found such a love for my channel and it seems to be growing into something I am so proud of. Starting a YouTube channel can be very daunting and there are now so many people doing it, there is a lot of competition and challenge to get yourself out there. Throughout my experience so far I have learnt a lot of little things that may help you if you're interested in getting into the world of YouTube.

Be consistent with your content and it will pay off. Having an upload schedule is something that I introduced only a few months ago, particularly when I started to make weekly vlogs. Really think about how many videos you want to upload each week and work out what the peak times are for this. I upload every Monday and Wednesday at 18:00 which is sometimes an absolute challenge to achieve but I always try to make it happen. I noticed that my subscriber count and view count really rose when I started to have a set upload schedule, because people know exactly when I will be uploading something new and they know that there will be two new videos each week. But remember that it's okay to take a break, the same with blogging, just make sure you let your viewers know that you're taking a break and keep them in the loop, this will go a long way.

You don't need fancy equipment to make videos, in fact you could use your iPhone if that's all you have. It really isn't necessary to go out and buy a £700 DSLR camera and a ton of studio lighting to create beautiful videos for your channel. I started out using my iPad, Windows Movie Maker and daylight and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I will admit that since investing in a new camera and studio lights my content has grown in quality and I have received more positive feedback but remember that you don't need this to start out, you can easily make small changes as you progress.

Forget about the numbers because if you enjoy it, they really don't matter. There are far too many people out there who have a channel just to make a bit of money or just to show off their subscriber count. It takes time and a lot of patience to build a YouTube following, it has taken me nearly three years to get to 10,000 subscribers when there are some people who can reach that in a few months! Don't look at the numbers too regularly and just enjoy creating your content and interacting with your viewers, the numbers will go up over time and it'll feel like such an achievement when it happens. Also make sure you celebrate when you do hit a milestone, it's great to share your success with everyone especially on social media.

Be prepared to receive rubbish comments and not so great feedback. There will always be someone who dislikes your video or leaves you a comment that really wasn't necessary. When it comes to YouTube you have to learn to ignore a lot of people and ignore a lot of negativity. Unfortunately there will always be someone who has purposely clicked on your video to either dislike or leave you a nasty hateful comment, just remember that you're not the sad loser that's sat there doing that and take the time to read all of the lovely comments you receive instead. I tend to delete any unwanted comments I receive although touch wood I normally receive only the odd one that annoys me.

Be yourself, I saved the most important tip till last. Your channel is your space on the internet and it's your way of expressing yourself so be honest, true to yourself and make videos that you love and enjoy. Recently I've heard a few people make comments about there being 'too many people on YouTube now' which is a load of absolute poop, there will never be too many, if you want to make videos please do it! Honesty goes a long way when it comes to making videos, let your personality run free and really interact with your audience, you actually end up making friends instead of just having subscribers.

If you have a channel please leave me a link in the comments, I'd love to check it out.